Process and machine for felting bats for hats



PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR FELT ING BATS FOR EATS E. BRECHT Filed Feb. 28, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inn/enfor- Bre 0/72".

A I fmey July 29, 1930. E. BRECHT ,77

FROCESS AND MACHINE FOR FELTING BATS FOR HA 'I'S Filed Feb.'28, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A f for/my Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED STATES EMIL' BRECHT, F GUIBEN, GERMANY PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR FELTING BATS FOB HATS Application filed February 28, 1929, Serial No. 343,298, and in Germany February 25, 1928.

This invention relates to a process and a machine for felting bats for bats, especially for prelimil'iarily felting hair, tops or combed yarn, noils ,or other fibrous materials or n'iixtures of such fibrous materials. It is known to allow fibrous materials of different nature to be deposited on a so-called forming cone by means of aeurrent of air. By this operation the materials assume a more. or less loose. texture. There are certain difficulties in further treating this loose fibrous mass do posited on the cone for the reason that it has a tendency of undergoing very easily an undesired deformation with the result that the mass is often damaged or destroyed in transport.

1t. is an object of the invention to transform such fibrous masses or bats into a state in which they can be easily and safely transported, the further treatment being thus rendered possible as desired. lVith this object in view the fibrous deposit on the cone is, aceording'to this invention, subjected to a preliminary felting treatment which it is possible to continue if desired until the felt is finished.

According to the invention felting is effected by subjecting the bats exclusively prepared by means of a current of air to the action of two conical surfaces performing a relative rotary movement. Such felting method is known in itself, but it has never been applied to bats prepared exclusively by a forming operation by means of a current of air.

It was not probable that conical surfaces erforming relative rotary movements would he applicable to bats prepared exclusively by forming by means of an air current without injuring this very delicate material. However, according to the present invention such treatment is rendered possible by applying special means.

The invention is based on the observation that it is possible to treat, with the conical surfaces referred to, such bats exclusively prepared by forming by means of an air current if beforethe outer conical surface is applied the bat is subjected to a condensation or compression by the action of a reduced pressure maintained within the inner cone until the outer cone is tightly applied to the bat or .iibrous material deposited on the inner cone. By this treatment the thickness of the bat is reduced and its resistance against deformation is increased. The inner cone carrying the bat being perforated as usual, the reduced pressure within the said cone will act upon the bat covering its outer surface. instead of applying reduced pressure within the cone it is, of' course, also possible i to apply an increased pressure to the outer surface of the bat, e. g. by n'iea-ns of compressed air.

The upper or outer cone to be applied to the bat can consist of a single hollow body preferably perforated in the same manner as the lower or inner cone for the purpose of rendering possible or facilitating the application of steam and similaroperations that may be, necessary or desirable. It is, however, also possible to use a divided cone, the parts of which are applied to the lower cone by a suitable swinging operation.

The operator is free to proceed With the preliminary felting operation as far as necessary according tothe conditions. As a rule, felting should be at least proceeded with until convenient removal ofthe bat under treatment from the cone and its safe transport is secured.

Cones of any usual description may be used for carrying the invention into practice, e. g. bright cones, that is to say cones having a working surface consisting of bright metal, preferably copper, or cones having their working surfaces covered with material permeable for air, such as tissues or the like.

In the accompanying drawing a machine adapted to carry out the process according to the invention is diagrammatically shown by way of example, but the invention is not limited to this form.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine, partly in section,

2 is a side elevation, partly in section Fig. 3 is a plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a cone and ring of the machine.

a is the working table which in the example shown is adapted to receive two cones b and b for carrying thebats. It is, however, possible to arran e any convenient number of cones. Each 0 these cones which are perforated as usual is carried by a ring, 0, c, the cones being preferably provided with fingers d, d engagin corresponding notches C" of the rings, see ig. 4. The rings are arranged in recesses of cover plates f, f earned by boxes e, e the rings being carried by vertlcal shafts g, g journalled n thrust bearings h, h carried by the working table a.

Each of the said cover plates f, f carries two vertical guiding rods 2', 2' adapted for guiding the upper cones la, k which are preferably provided with suitable perforations. These cones 7c, is are secured to arms m, m having their free ends perforated to adapt them for sliding on the guiding rods 2', i 1

For reciprocating these upper cones up and down and for further guiding them they are provided at their upper ends with rods 19, p

passing through openings of a guiding arm 9 and through openings of a further guldlng arm g supported by a column carrled b the worklng table. The lower ends of two c alns n, n are fixed to collars forming part of the rods p, 79 said chains passin on guiding disks carried by the arm 1 and eing provided at their other ends wlth counter-weights 0, 0 balancin the wei ht of the upper cones and thus faci itat-ing t eir up and down reciprocation.

A driving shaft 1' is suitably ournalled 1n the table. This shaft is driven, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of a belt pulley and a belt from a suitable motor (not shown). In the example shown two eccentric disks .9, 8 are arranged on the said shaft 1', eccentric rods 23, t being connected to arms a, a fixed to the vertical shafts g, g in such a manner that when the shaft 7* is rotated slight swinging,

movements are imparted to the arms u, u which movements are transferred to the lower forming cones b, b by means of the rings 0, 0 above referred to.

Openings of the boxes e, 6 issue into the ends of pipes 41, o suitably connected to an evacuating pump or the like (not shown), the

said pipes being provided with th rottle valves, one of which w is shownm lug. 2. The throttle valves can be adjusted through a lever by means of manually operated rods 92, :0 Steam pipes 3 ,y are arranged for supplying steam or hot water. to the bats resting upon the forming cones b, b, the said pipes being provided with suitable valves and having their ends approxlmatel situated in the plane of the rings 0, c and ent to rings 2, .2 provided with outlet openings.

The operation of the machine for performing the process according to the invention will now be described reference being made only to one unit for the sake of clearness.

A bat is formed in the usual forming machine by depositing fibrous material on a cone such as b, by means of a current of air.

This cone 6 carrying the bat is then put on the ring 0. Re by means of the pipe 1), the bat being condensed or compressed by the actionof the reduced pressure and its thickness being reduced e. g.,. from 4 centimeters to 2 centimeters or 1 centimeter. The upper cone is is then lowered to apply it to the hat on the cone b,the parts thus taking the position shown in the right half of Fig. 1. In this position the upper cone is prevents the but from expanding and it is, therefore, possible to cut off the reduced pressure pipe when the cone has been applied. It is not necessary to interrupt the eccentric drive of the rings, the arrangement of the lower cone, the action of the reduced pressure on the bat, the application of the upper cone and its removal not being inconveniently influenced thereby. If it is desired to apply steam the valve of the steam pi e'y is opened, steam being thus allowed to rise through the perforated ring .2 and to escape through the perforations of the lower cone b, the material of the bat and the perforations of the upper cone is.

The ring 0 performing a slight reciprocating movement on its circular path, the lower cone 6 carried by this ring and secured against dislocation b the fingers d engaging the notches C of t e ring will assume the same reciprocating movement on the circular path. The upper cone 70 being secured against such movement by its guiding parts the desired relative movement of the lower cone 6 and the upper cone is is obtained and will cause the felting effect. The degree of felting being thus under complete control, the felting operation may be proceeded with as required by the circumstances. In most of the cases a partly felting or preliminary felting will be suflicient. In other cases it may be preferable to proceed further.

If felting is completed to the desired degree which takes a relatively short time the steam is cut off and the upper cone 7': is lifted; it is now possible to remove from the ring the lower cone 1) together with the preliminarily felted bat.

In many cases it is advisable to cool the bats before lifting the upper cone la in order to facilitate the separation of the upper cone is from the bat and the removal of the bat from the lower cone 7;. This cooling can be effected by simply allowing the bat to stand. It is preferable, however, to apply again reduced pressure'for some time, cooled air from the atmosphere thus passing through the upper cone is, the bat and the lower cone b and rapidly cooling the bat.

uced pressure is applied It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the example described, but numerous variations obvious to those skilled in the art are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for felting bats for hats the combination of a perforated cone carrying the bat to be felted, pneumatic means connected to said cone and compressing the bat thereon, a second cone adapted to be tightly applied to the compressed bat carried by the first cone and preferably also perforated and means for imparting relative r0- tary movement to the said cones.

2. In a machine for felting bats for hats I the combination of a perforated cone carrying the bat to be felted, pneumatic means connected to said cone and compressing the bat thereon, a second cone ada ted to be tightly applied to the compressed at carried bythe first cone and preferably also perforated, means for imparting to the first com a reciprocating rotary movement and means for preventingthe upper cone from rotatmg.

3. In a machine for felting bats for hats the combination of a perforated cone carrying the bat to be felted and supported by a ring, pneumatic means connected to said cone and compressing the bat thereon, a second cone adapted to be tightly applied to the compressed bat carried by the first cone and preferably also perforated, means for imparting to the said ring a reciprocating rotary movement and means for preventing the upper cone from rotating.

4. The process of manufacturing bats for hats which consists in pneumatically compressing the bat by internally applying reduced pressure, mechanically maintaining the bat in compressed condition, discontinumg the application of reduced pressure and fe ting the bat to the desired degree by subjecting the same to a relative rotary movement.

5. The process of preliminar felting of bats for. hats which consists in rst depositing the bat on a perforated cone exclusively by blowin then compressing the bat by app ying re uced pressure within the cone, applyinga second preferably also perforated cone to the bat, while maintainin the reduced pressure until the outer cone 1S tightly applied to the bat, and then imparting a relative rotary movement to the cones for felting the bat to the desired degree.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a vertical shaft carrying a ring, a lower cone mounted on said ring, fingers integral with said lower cone and adapted to engage notches provided in said ring, an arm on said vertical shaft, a main driving shaft actuating an eccentric and an eccentric rod pivotally connected to said arm to impart reciprocating rotary movement to said ring and lower cone.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a box, a pipe connected laterally thereto and adapted to be evacuated, a recessed cover plate on said box, a ring provided with notches and adapted to rotate adjacent to said recessed cover plate, a cone mounted on said ring, and fin ers integral with said cone and engaging said notches to prevent relative motion therebetween.

8. A machine of the character described comprising a box, a pipe connected laterally thereto and adapted to be evacuated, a recessed cover plate on said box, a ring provided with notches and adapted to rotate adjacent to said recessed cover plate and a lower cone having fingers integral therewith which engage said notches in said ring.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

EMIL BRECHT. 

